The DA: A True Story

With close to a thousand prosecutors, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office is one of the largest in the world. It is also part of one of the world’s most notorious criminal court systems. Charles Manson. The Menendez brothers. Rodney King. O.J. Simpson. Each a bigger media event than the last. All have emerged from the chaotic morass of humanity that is Los Angeles.

But the majority of cases processed by this office aren’t played out live in front of CNN. Filled with just as much drama, greed, brutality, and perversity as celebrity cases, most are settled by the lawyers in plea bargains rather than by impartial juries.

Larry Long is one of the prosecutors who handles these cases, along with his more high-profile colleagues like Pan Ferrero, Dinko Bozanich, Bill Hodgman, and Marcia Clark. They attend the daily “calendar calls,” balancing the ideals of justice with the need for practicality, and prepare for each case that ends in trial with ferver and dedications. In The D.A., author Lawrence Taylor takes you into the courtroom to meet these players as they maneuver their way through the justice system.

You’ll also follow Larry Longo behind the scenes of a headline murder case, through the meticulous painstaking process of interviewing witnesses and investigating relevant events in preparation for trial. You’ll experience each of his triumphs and each of his frustrations as he battles head-on with Mike Yamaki, on of L.A.’s most powerful attorneys. And you will be able to see, firsthand, what it takes to hold up against all the pressures and demands of being a good prosecutor.

"One fascinating year behind the scenes with a deputy D.A. at the Los Angeles district attorney’s office…Taylor does a masterful, straightforward job of showing the day-to-day workings – and failings – of the judicial system." - Kirkus Reviews

"As fast-paced as fiction and as gripping as the best of true crime." - Los Angeles Times

"This book reads like an Elmore Leonard novel. Recommended for all popular true crime collections" - Library Journal